After Elric and the Princess broke camp and desperately trying to forget what happened during breakfast, the two slowly made their way to Helmsport.
The two walked in silence. Eric was not the one for starting conversations and the Princess was too embarrassed by what happened that morning to properly talk with Elric.
Everything was relatively peaceful until noontime.
"Stop," Elric said. The Princess stopped walking and looked at Elric inquisitively.
Elric's staff materialized in his hands as he said out loud,
"There's no use in hiding. I know you're there."
His words were greeted with silence.
Then a shadow shot out from the foliage, directly towards Elric's unprotected back!
"Look out!" The Princess noticed the shadow and tried to warn Elric but it was too late! The moment she opened her mouth, the shadow was already behind him!
A glittering silver arced in the midday sun and like a viper, it lashed out towards Elric's neck, fully intending to separate his head from his body!
*clang*
The assassin expected a fountain of blood and the sound of metal biting flesh but what came out was the sound of two metal chasing together!
The assassin's blade never managed to pierce Elric's skin and was fully stopped with out him even moving.
"You think I'd have no countermeasures against ambush?" Elric tilted his head to look at the assassin directly.
The assassin jumped and tried to run back to the cover of the forest but Elric was prepared this time!
"
Five frozen vines materialized midair and shot towards the assassin. The assassin saw this and tried to dodge but the vines were relentless.
Seeing as running away was pointless, the assassin brandished their blade and tried to destroy the vines! With every slash, a vine was cut but it immediately grew back!
It was like a dance. The assassin weaved and struck, the vines never touching them. It went on for a few breaths, with neither the assassin not the vines taking the advantage.
But soon, the assassin made a mistake and slipped. The ice vines didn't let this opportunity slip and entangled the assassin. A vine for each arm and leg, and another for their neck.
The assassin was hoisted in the air by the vines. Their every move was restrained and soon, they went limp.
'A puddle?!' Were the last thoughts of the assassin.
Yes, their downfall was a small puddle on the ground.
Now, why would a puddle be on the ground in a place that saw no recent rain?
The answer was the part of the ice vines that were cut off. As the battle raged on, the assassin cut more and more pieces of the vines which dropped to the ground and melted.
Of course the ice made by Elric's magic wouldn't easily melt without his help.
Elric controlled the vines to corral the assassin and to prevent them from escaping. As the vines were cut, Elric saw an opportunity and cancelled the magic he was about to cast and instead covertly controlled the broken ice pieces on the ground to gather together and melt, forming a sizeable puddle. Then he directed the battle to slowly push the assassin towards his trap and let nature run its course.
With a gesture, the assassin was dragged until they were face-to-face with Elric.
"Dead, huh" Elric said as he saw the lifeless eyes of the person who tried to kill him. "What a professional."
Elric cancelled the ice vines which evaporated, dropping the dead assassin to the ground.
"Well, that was useless." Elric said. "Should've kill them earlier."
The Princess was gaping as she was still processing what happened.
An assassin failed to kill Sir Mage, then they fought, and then the assassin committed suicide when they were restrained?
And a of this happened in a few breaths!
Is this what her teacher said as the realm beyond mortals?!
With a wave of his hand, the blade and clothes of the assassin disappeared into his inventory, leaving the assassin as naked as the day they were born.
Who was apparently a she.
"Ann?!" An apparently, the Princess recognized her.
"You know this one?" Elric asked her.
"Y-yes, she was the attendant I was with." The Princess answered. "Why would she try to kill us though?"
"Let's find out," Elric replied nonchalantly.
The Princess looked at him like he was an idiot. She was dead, how could you find out more?
"In my name, the defeated shall serve the victor. Rise, and obey the one that has slain you [Undeath to the Vanquished]"
A massive build up of mana and the nauseating stench of necrotic magic gathered upon Elric. However, the spell didn't do anything and just dissipated.
"Ah, I forgot suicide denies the kill." Elric muttered. "No matter."
His tome replace his staff and the pages fluttered.
"What was that again? Ah yeah, [Invoke: Queen of the Courts - Medb]"
The forest fell into an eerie silence. The rustling of the leaves stopped and the air came into a dead halt. The chirping of the birds was suddenly silence. The chittering of the insects stopped.
It's as if the forest knows that a predator greater than them has appeared.
~Verily, this one hath waited for thee to call forth once more~
A voice that is akin to a soothing bell mixed with the sound of crackling ice and a raging blizzard. It was melodious and haunting, sending chills deep within one's soul.
Snow and Ice appeared from nowhere and coalesced, forming a ethereal figure. She had pink hair, like those of flowers that emerge after the harsh winter. He skin was as pristine as the spring sun. Her eyes were hauntingly crimson like blood as we're her lips.
She wore a dress as white as freshly fallen snow that flow on unseen winds.
If one were to lay their eyes on her, they would be captivated by her otherworldly beauty.
"Medb, turn this one into a Sidhe," Elric ordered the Fae. He has long been accustomed to the antics of his summon. Besides, he was the one who made them.
~Doth presume that this noble self obey akin to a slave?~
The winds grew heavy as a frown marred her perfect visage.
Yet as soon as it appeared, it vanished just as fast.
~Doth art unerring. This one already professed her entire self to thee~